Change-giving devices for automatic prepayment distributors



May 17, 1966 M. J. H. STAAR 3,251,369

CHANGE-GIVING DEVICES FOR AUTOMATIC PREPAYMENT DISTRIBUTORS Filed April17, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 17, 1966 M. J. H. STAAR CHANGE-GIVINGDEVICES FOR AUTOMATIC PREPAYMENT DISTRIBUTORS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledApril 17, 1963 May 17, 1966 M. J. H. STAAR CHANGE-GIVING DEVICES FORAUTOMATIC PREPAYMENT DISTRIBUTORS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 17, 1963A mm May 17, 1966 STAAR 3,251,369

CHANGE-GIVING DEVICES FOR AUTOMATIC PREPAYMENT DISTRIBUTORS Filed April17, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 rie.7.

United States Patent O Claims priority, application Great Britain, July26, 1962,-

28,817/ 62; Belgium, Apr. 25, 1962, 616,870

' 6 Claims. (Cl. 1334) This invention relates to change-giving devicesof the kind fitted to automatic prepayment distributors in order thatthe same may make sales at a predetermined but variable price below thevalue of the coinage inserted to operate the distributor.

In devices of this kind, a number of tubes each adapted to contain astack of coins are fixedly mounted on a usually stationary plate, andmeans are provided which, when an article is distributed, move one ormore coins in each tube, such coins being supported while the apparatusis inoperative, into a position for removal by a distributing sliderreciprocable between the top stationary tube removal apertures.

The filling or absence of filling of the various coin tubes determinesthe change given at each distributing operation and thus makes itpossible to provide some flexibility in the sale price of the goodsdelivered by the apparatus.

However, the range of change is limited by the number and kind of tubesused in the apparatus; for instance, in an apparatus having only onetube for 1 franc coins, one tube for 50 centime coins and 2 tubes for 20centime .coins, change of 20 centimes, 40 centimes, 50 centimes,

70 centimes, 90 centimes, 1 franc, 1.20 francs, 1.40 francs, 1.50francs, 1.70 francs and 1.90 francs can be given at each operation.

This scale, although wide, does not cover all the varieties in price ofthe articles which a single distributor may be required to distribute.

Of course, further coin tubes could be provided to cover a wider rangeof conditions, but increasing the number of tubes would increase thespace required in a way which is nearly always unsatisfactory and wouldalso increase the cost of the apparatus needlessly. The practice hastherefore been to provide distributors with a change-giving device bestsuited to its initial use, with the disadvantage that the change-givingdevice must be resupport plate and a bottom stationary plate formed with3,251,369 Patented May 17, 1966 "ice Another object of the invention toenable the cointubes to be positioned and removed without manipulationof anything but the coin tubes.

In apparatus according to the invention, each coin tube bears aconnecting plate providing a connection to the top tube support plate,the connecting plate comprising a bayonet device so devised that thecoin tube is maintained in a position perpendicular to the plane of thetop plate after the tube and connecting plate assembly have been turnedthrough a few degrees, in co-operation with top studs or knobs on thetop stationary tube support plate, thus helping to prevent the coin tubefrom being lifted.

In a practical embodiment of the invention, the bayonet connectioncomprises a recessed part formed with a locking notch in which the knobor the like on the top stationary tube support plate can be maintainedand secured by means of a resilient strip formed on the edge of theconnecting plate by a slit or cut having a curvature substantiallyparallel with a peripheral curvature of of the connecting plate.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same maybe carried into effect, reference may now be made to the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the whole device;

FIGS. 2 and 2a illustrate some details of the subject matter of thisinvention;

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the system whereby each coin tube can be securedreleasably, FIG. 3 being a plan view and FIG. 4 being a sectional viewtaken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5, 5a, 6 and 6a show some details of the subject matter of theinvention, and

FIGS. '7 and 8 illustrate an alternative embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1, a distributing wheel 1 has peripheral teeth 2engaging with a small toothed wheel which placed by another and morecomplicated change-giving device in cases where the scale of changewhich can be given is not wide enough. Consequently, the makers ofapparatus of this kind who export their products to different countrieshave to produce change-giving devices which not only differ for eachapplication in each country but which must be individually designed forthe currency of each country concerned, with the result of multipletooling, large stocks, difficulties in delivery and, notwithstanding allthese disadvantages, reduced adaptability in operation. g

It is an object of this invention to obviate these disvantages and toprovide a co-operation between the tube support plate and the coin tubesleading to ready and can be formed by two discs 3 interconnected byspindles 4. The small toothed Wheel can rotate around a spindle S borneby a vertical plate 6. Wheel 1 is provided with apertures 6 for thepassage of articles, such as bottles, which are removed individuallywhen the wheel 1 has rotated through a predetermined angle pursuant tothe introduction of a coin. Tubes 7 each adapted to contain a stack ofcoins rest on a horizontal plate 8 formed with apertures 9. A stationaryplate 10, provided with apertures 11, is below the plate 8, and a slider12 with apertures 13 can slide reciprocatingly between the plates 8 and10. .'In the example illustrated, the slider 12 is moved by the wheel 3through the agency of a lever 14 which pivots around a pivot 15 borne bythe plate 6 and which terminates in a rod 16 engaging in a slot 17 inthe slider 12. The lever 14 is moved by means of an eccentric stud 18 onthe wheel 3, the stud l8 engaging in a slot 19 in an arm 20 of the lever14, the arm 20 being connected to the lever 14 by way of a bent part 21.

When the apparatus is in the inoperative state, the bottom coin of astack in any tube 7 is engaged in an aperture 13 in the slider 12. butis supported by the bottom stationary plate 10 because the apertures 11therein are offset sufl'iciently from the apertures 9 in the plate 8 toprevent the bottom coin of the stack from dropping. When a coin has beenintroduced into the device and the wheel 1 is rotated by the amountrequired to-distribute an article, the wheel 3 is also driven and thusthe lever 14 is rocked, with the result that the slider 12 moves by anamount such that the bottom coins which were in a position 22 in FIGS. 5and 6 in tubes 7 are each moved above an aperture 11 in the plate andare therefore removed as denoted by reference 22 (FIGS. 5a and 6a).

The tubes 7 are formed with longitudinal slots 23 through which thecoins stacked in them are visible.

According to the invention, the tubes 7 are releasable and accordinglyeach comprise at the bottom a connecting plate 24 which is formed withstud-holes 25 terminating in circular notches 26 and engaging with knobs27 or the like secured to the top tube support plate 8 to form a bayonetconnection therewith. Each connecting plate 24 has on its periphery abent part 28 through which extends a rod 29 having a top 30, the rod 29terminating in a shank 31 engaging in a aperture 32 in the top tubesupport plate 8. Between the bent part 28 and the plate 8, a spring 34which bears against a collar 35 of the rod 29 engages around the same,the rod 29 being slidable in a bush 33 rigidly secured to the bent part28.

In the normal position, the connecting plate 24 and therefore the tubes7 are rigidly secured to the top stationary tube support plate 8. If thetop of the rod 21 is gripped and the rod 29 is pulled upwards, the shank31 is disengaged from the aperture 32 .and the assembly formed by thetube 7 and connecting plate 24 is released from the plate 8, and so thecoin tube 7 can be removed by the assembly 7, 24 being rotated until theaperture 26 registers with the knob 27. 'The assemblies formed by theelements 7, 24 can be replaced just as easily, and the connectionbetween plate 24. and plate 8 can be restored by engaging the knobs 27in the apertures 26 and turning the assembly 7, 24 slightly; the shank31 engages automatically in the aperture 32 and locks the assembly. Itwill be readily apparent that the apertures 11 must be of a diametercorresponding to the diameter of the largest-- diameter coins to beused. Also, the thickness of the slider 12 must correspond to thethickness of the thinnest coin, to ensure that there is no chance of anyejection during the sliding preparatory to ejection. This state isclearly shown in FIGS. 5, 5a, 6 and 6a. Another feature of the inventionis that each tube 7 has at the bottom below the connecting plate 24 atubular projection 36 of a height such that, when the slider 12 slides,the penultimate coin P, which is disposed above the last coin in thestack, is not carried along with the coin to be ejected and similarlythat the ante-penultimate coin is not carried along in the case wheretwo coins are distributed.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate an alternative simplified embodiment in whichthe bayonet connection comprises a recessed part 26 formed with alocking notch 25 in which the knob 27 can be maintained by means of aresilient tongue 36 formed on the edge of the plate 24 by a slot or cut37 which extends substantially parallel with the periphery of the plateand which is so connected to the locking notch 25 that the tongue 36 canhave a clamping efiect on the knob 27 when the same is engaged in thelocking notch 25 Assuming that the plate 24 and the tube 7 are rigidlyconnected to the plate 8 as illustrated in FIG. 7, it will be apparentthat by exerting sufficient manual strength to overcome the resilienceof the tongue 36, the assembly 7, 24 can be turned until the recessedpart 26 registers with the knob 27 so that the tube 7 and plate 24 canbe removed. The assemblies 7, 24 can be replaced and the connection canbe restored by engaging the knobs 27 in the recessed part 26 and byrotating the assembly 7, 24 slightly in the opposite direction so thatthe knob 27 can engage in the locking notch 25 and be retained thereinby the resilience of the tongue 36.

In all of the embodiments, the presence of the connecting plate 24 andof the bayonet system devised and constructed as herein before describedmeans that the coin tube 7 can be positioned and removed withoutmanipulation of any other element of the automatic device, with theadvantage that there is no lifting of the coin tube 7 when the same issecured. The embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 uses very simplemeans which help to reduce the cost considerably.

What I claim is:

1. An automatic change supply device for use with an automaticprepayment distributor for enabling the same to make sales at apredetermined but variable price below the value of the insertedcoinage, said change supply device comprising a top fixed platehorizontally arranged and provided with a plurality of apertures, aplurality of tubes each adapted to contain a stack of coins, said tubesbeing detachably mounted on said top stationary plate in alignment withthe apertures in said plate, a bottom stationary plate below the saidtop plate and provided with apertures, a distributing slider alsoprovided with apertures and supported between the said top stationaryplate and said bottom stationary plate for reciprocal movement, betweena first position for dispensing coins and a second position in which thecoins are blocked from being dispensed, means for displacing said sliderbetween said positions for the selective dispensing of coins from thetubes when the distributor has been activated by inserted coinage, saidapertures in the bottom stationary plate being in partial registry butoffset from the apertures in the top fixed plate, said slider in saidsecond position engaging the lowermost coin of the stack in each tube inthe apertures in the slider, the lowermost coins resting on the bottomstationary plate, the apertures in the bottom plate being offsetsufficiently from the apertures in the top plate to prevent thelowermost coins of the stacks from dropping, the slider in said firstposition being positioned with the apertures in said slider in alignmentwith the apertures in the bottom plate such that as the slider is movedto said first position the lowermost coin in each stack is moved withsaid slider to a position in alignment with a corresponding aperture inthe bottom plate whereupon the lowermost coins from each stack are freeto be dispensed, each coin tube including a connecting plate andconnection means between said top plate and said connecting plate forthe detachable connection of the latter of said plates, one of saidlatter plates having a notch therein, the other of said plates havinglocking means operative in a normal position to rigidly secure theconnecting plate and the tube to the top plate, the locking means havinga disengaged position in which the tube and connecting plate arereleased from the top plate and are adapted to be rotated a few degreesto a position where the said tube and connecting plate are adapted to beremoved from the top plate and be replaced.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said notch is provided in theconnecting plate of each tube, said notch having a recessed portion anda locking portion, the lock ing means comprising a locking member on thetop plate extending into said notch, said connecting plate having a slotextending into the locking portion of the notch to define an elastictongue bounding the locking portion of the notch such that with thelocking member in the locking portion of the notch the tongue engagesthe locking member to hold the collecting plate and the top platetogether, said locking member having a portion above the connectingplate with a dimension exceeding the locking portion of the notch toprevent separation between the connecting plate and tube and the topplate.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein each said connecting plate hasa curved outline adjacent the locking portion of the notch therein, saidslot having a curvature parallel to the curvature of the outline of theconnecting plate.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apertures in the bottomstationary plate have a diameter corresponding to the diameter of thelargest diameter coins to be used.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the recipro- References Citedby the Examiner cable slider has a thicliness which is less than thethickness UNITED STATES PATENTS Or the com of least thrckness.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each coin 626,528 6/1899DePremand 133-4 tube has at the bottom below the connecting plate atubu- 5 2,690,828 10/1954 Stalger 1334 lar projection of suflicientheight such that, when the re- 2877776 3/1959 Hoke 133-4 ciprocableslider moves, the penultimate coin contained FOREIGN PATENTS in the cointube is restrained from moving with the coin 636,941 2/1962 Canada to bee ected, whereby the penultnnate COlII 1s not drs- 745 2 2/1933 France.

pensed when a single coin is to be distributed from each 10 tuba EVERETTW. KIRBY, Primary Examiner.

1. AN AUTOMATIC CHANGE SUPPLY DEVICE FOR USE WITH AN AUTOMATICPREPAYMENT DISTRIBUTOR FOR ENABLING THE SAME TO MAKE SALES AT APREDETERMINED BUT VARIABLE PRICE BELOW THE VALUE OF THE INSERTEDCOINAGE, SAID CHANGE SUPPLY DEVICE COMPRISING A TOP FIXED PLATEHORIZONTALLY ARRANGED AND PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF APERTURES, APLURALITY OF TUBES EACH ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A STACK OF COINS, SAID TUBESBEING DETACHABLY MOUNTED ON SAID TOP STATIONARY PLATES IN ALIGNMENT WITHTHE APERTURES IN SAID PLATE, A BOTTOM STATIONARY PLATE BELOW THE SAIDTOP PLATE AND PROVIDED WITH APERTURES, A DISTRIBUTING SLIDER ALSOPROVIDED WITH APERTURES AND SUPPORTED BETWEEN THE SAID TOP STATIONARYPLATE AND SAID BOTTOM STATIONARY PLATE FOR RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT, BETWEENA FIRST POSITION FOR DISPENSING COINS AND A SECOND POSITION IN WHICH THECOINS ARE BLOCKED FROM BEING DISPENSED, MEANS FOR DISPLACING SAID SLIDERBETWEEN SAID POSITIONS FOR THE SELECTIVELY DISPENSING OF COINS FROM THETUBES WHEN THE DISTRIBUTOR HAS BEEN ACTIVATED BY INSERTED COINAGE, SAIDAPERTURES IN THE BOTTOM STATIONARY PLATE BEING IN PARTIAL REGISTRY BUTOFFSET FROM THE APERTURES IN THE TOP FIXED PLATE, SAID SLIDER IN SAIDSECOND POSITION ENGAGING THE LOWERMOST COIN OF THE STACK IN ECH TUBE INTHE APERTURES IN THE SLIDER, THE LOWERMOST COINS RESTING ON THE BOTTOMSTATIONARY PLATE, THE APERTURES IN THE BOTTOM PLATE BEING OFFSETSUFFICIENTLY FROM THE APERTURES IN THE TOP PLATE TO PREVENT THELOWERMOST COINS OF THE STACKS FROM DROPPING, THE SLIDER IN SAID FIRSTPOSITION BEING POSITIONED WITH THE APERTURES IN SAID SLIDER IN ALIGNMENTWITH THE APERTURES IN THE BOTTOM PLATE SUCH THAT AS THE SLIDER IS MOVEDTO SAID FIRST POSITION THE LOWERMOST COIN IN EACH STACK IS MOVED WITHSAID SAID SLIDER TO A POSITION IN ALIGNMENT WITH A CORRESPONDINGAPERTURE IN THE BOTTOM PLATE WHEREUPON THE LOWERMOST COINS FROM EACHSTACK ARE FREE TO BE DISPENSED, EACH COIN TUBE INCLUDING A CONNECTINGPLATE AND CONNECTION MEANS BETWEEN SAID TOP PLATE AND SAID CONNECTINGPLATE FOR THE DETACHABLE CONNECTION OF THE LATTER OF SAID PLATES, ONE OFSAID LATTER PLATES HAVING A NOTCH THEREIN, THE OTHER OF SAID PLATESHAVING LOCKING MEANS OPERATIVE IN A NORMAL POSITION TO RIGIDLY SECURETHE CONNECTING PLATE AND THE TUBE TO THE TOP PLATE, THE LOCKING MEANSHAVING A DISENGAGED POSITION IN WHICH THE TUBE AND CONNECTING PLATE ARERELEASED FROM THE TOP PLATE AND ARE ADAPTED TO BE ROTATED FOR A FEWDEGREES TO A POSITION WHERE THE SAID TUBE AND CONNECTING PLATE AREADAPTED TO BE REMOVED FROM THE TOP PLATE AND BE REPLACED.